CHAPTER IV
A STRANGE MISSION
It seemed to the boys as though they could never get enough, and Fred,as he saw one bluefish after another vanish, reminded the others thatthey would want something for breakfast the next morning. But at lasteven their ravenous appetites were satisfied, and they lay back on thesand, blissfully content.
"Easy camping," remarked Teddy lazily. "No dishes to wash, no beds tomake, nothing to do till to-morrow."
"Do you think the storm will be over by that time, Lester?" asked Fred.
"I guess so," answered Lester, as he looked up at the sky where somestars showed through. "The clouds seem to be breaking away and the windhas died down a little. The surf doesn't sound so loud on the cliffsoutside, either."
"I suppose your father will be worried when we don't get back to-night,"remarked Bill.
"I'm afraid he will," assented Lester. "But I've had to stay awaysometimes before when I've been caught in a squall, and he knows the_Ariel_ is a pretty staunch boat. Still, he can't help feelingworried, and we'll make sail for home the first thing in the morning."
By this time, their clothes had dried in the warmth of the fire, and thecomfort that this gave, together with the hearty meal they had eaten,put the youths in a state of supreme content. They were at peace withthemselves and with all the world, and their satisfaction was all thegreater by contrast with their peril of the afternoon.
The stranger had eaten heartily and joined freely in the conversation,but by tacit consent they had waited till the meal was over before theydiscussed his narrow escape. The Rally Hall boys had had time to takethe unknown one's measure, and the general impression was favorable.
He was a clean-cut, well set up youth of about sixteen years. His formwas lithe and muscular, his hair black, and his eyes frank and friendly.His speech showed education, and his manners were easy and correct.
If there was anything about him that marked him out as peculiar, it wasa certain baffled expression that came and went in his eyes. He lookedlike one who was always seeking for something, but never finding it. Hisglance had taken in the cove and the surrounding shore, as though toimpress it on his memory, with a view to using the knowledge later on.
Now as the boys lounged around the fire, he seemed to feel that the timehad come to give some account of himself.
"I can't thank you fellows enough for having pulled me out of thewater," he began.
"Here's the fellow to thank," interrupted Lester, clapping his hand onFred's shoulder. "He went overboard after you."
"What?" was the surprised reply. "I thought you pulled me in from thedeck. That was an awfully plucky thing for you to do," the strangerdeclared, as he grasped Fred's hand warmly, "and I'll never forget it.With that shark swimming around there, too!"
"Oh, that was nothing," disclaimed Fred. "I had tight hold of a rope,and it was no trick at all to hold on to you until the other fellowspulled us in."
"You took your life in your hand just the same," affirmed the other. "Ihope that some day I'll be able to show you how much I appreciate it."
"What was the matter with your motor boat anyway?" asked Fred, who wasalways embarrassed by thanks and wanted to change the subject.
"The ignition was bad, and the water that I shipped made things worse. Iwas tinkering away at it and had almost got it to working right, whenthat big wave came aboard and carried me over the side. I can justremember its hitting me, and after that everything was blank until Icame to my senses on the deck of the boat."
"I've seen that motor boat of yours cruising up and down the coast agood deal this last year or so," remarked Lester. "You seem to be prettyfond of the water."
The stranger shot a swift glance at the last speaker, as if he thoughtsome hidden meaning might lurk behind the words.
"Yes," he said, "I'm never happier than when I'm out on the open sea.Some of my ancestors must have been sailors I guess, and I have it inthe blood. But that isn't the only reason I've been cruising along thiscoast."
"What is the reason then?" asked Teddy curiously. "That is," he went onhastily, "if you care to tell us. We don't want to pry into youraffairs."
The other seemed to debate with himself. It was as if a habit of secrecywere battling with a sudden desire for expression.
"I'll tell you," he burst out. "It's a thing I've never told any oneelse. But you fellows have been so white to me, to say nothing of one ofyou having risked his life for mine, that I'm going to take a chance.Perhaps it will be a relief anyway. Brooding over it so long and notconfiding in any one, I've been afraid some time I might go crazy overit."
The boys were startled, but they gave no sign and the speaker went on:
"My name is Ross Montgomery. I'm looking for a chest of gold."
The effect was electric. The thrilling phrase appealed to all that wasmost romantic in the listeners. Visions floated before their eyes ofhidden treasures, of pirate hoards, of sunken galleons with theirdoubloons and "pieces of eight." These things had seemed to belong tothe misty past, to distant seas. Yet here in the prosaic twentiethcentury, in a civilized country, on a quiet beach along the coast ofMaine, this boy of their own age was talking of a quest that might wellstir the most sluggish blood.
"A chest of gold!" repeated Fred, as though he could not believe hisears.
"Where do you think it's hidden?" questioned Teddy eagerly.
"How much money is in the chest?" asked Bill.
"Perhaps it isn't money," corrected Lester. "It may be gold dust, or itmay be in bars. Have you any clue?" he asked, turning to Ross.
"What makes you think it's on this coast?" put in Fred.
Ross raised his hand good-naturedly, as though to ward off the rain ofquestions.
"Easy there," he smiled, "and I'll tell you the whole thing from thebeginning. Perhaps you'll think I'm crazy. Perhaps you'll say I have asgood a chance of finding it as the fellow who looks for the pot of goldat the end of the rainbow. And you may be right. Anyway, I'll give youwhat facts I know, and you can figure out for yourselves whether I havea chance or not."
Ross waited a moment to collect his thoughts, and the other boysdisposed themselves to listen. Their blood was bounding and their eyesshining. The situation was romantic in itself. The firelight played overtheir eager faces, the waters of the cove lay shimmering before them,while, at the outlet, the surf thundered against the rocks. The boysmight have been castaways on some desert island in the tropics. Thegreat world outside seemed very far away.
"My father was in business in Boston about fifteen years ago," Rossbegan. "I was just a baby then, and, of course, I don't know anythingabout those days except what I've been told since by my mother.
"Father was a good business man and he had built up a fairly largetrade. We had a home in a suburb near Boston and all the money weneeded. The business had been expanding, and father had put into it notonly all his own ready money, but a lot that he had borrowed from hisfriends. Then hard times came. Of course he had to retrench in every wayhe could. He took in his sails and worked hard to weather the storm.He'd have succeeded, too, but just as things were looking brighter, abig bank failure knocked him out completely."
There was a murmur of sympathy from the boys.
"As if that wasn't enough, he came down with brain fever," went on Ross."I suppose it was brought on by worry and overwork. Anyway, when he goton his feet again, everything had gone to smash and he didn't have acent left. Worse than that, he was in debt for a good many thousanddollars.
"Father was honest though," and there was a touch of pride in the boy'svoice. "Everybody that knew him at all knew that. If his health had beengood, he could have started in all over again, and even some of the mento whom he owed money would have lent him more to get him on his feet.But the doctor told him it would be simply suicide for him to go onunder the circumstances, and that he'd have to go away somewhere andtake a long rest.
"All of his property had gone to his creditors, but mother owned a smallplace up
in Canada on the Gulf of St. Lawrence. She had inherited itfrom her father, and as it was free and clear, the whole family packedup and went out there.
"It was a complete change from the life we had lived before and myfather's health began to mend right away. There was a good deal ofvaluable lumber on the place and as there was a good demand for this, hesold it at a profit. Then, too, he traded a good deal with the trapperswho came out of the forests every spring with their skins and furs.
"Money began to pile up and father was feeling fine. It wasn't so muchbecause _he_ was getting the money, though of course that was agreat thing, but he was fairly crazy to pay off every cent of the moneyhe owed when he went into bankruptcy. He was a very proud man andcouldn't bear to be in any one's debt. I've often heard him say tomother that the day he stood clear with the world again would be thehappiest day of his life.
"He had kept a careful record of every cent he owed in a littlememorandum book. Here it is now."
Ross reached into his pocket and drew out a small morocco-covered bookthat gleamed red in the light of the fire.